Happy Ending
by janemac24
Summary: (post 3x11 AU) After the Wicked Witch kills King David, Snow attempts to run the kingdom and raise their daughter without him, finding support from an unlikely source. Is it possible to find happiness without her true love?
1. The King is Dead

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing that you recognize in this story. Once Upon a Time is the property of ABC studios, etc.

This story is set post 3.11 in the Enchanted Forest, but ignoring the "One Year Later" events at the end of the aforementioned episode. There will be no Hook, etc. etc. There may be some Swan Queen later on (you have been warned), but the focus will be mainly on Snow and Regina's ever-evolving relationship.

I apologize in advance, but the first few chapters will be a little dark. The story will get happier as it goes on, I promise.

**Chapter 1: The King is Dead**

There was no venue in the Enchanted Forest big enough to fit the crowd that was expected for King David's funeral, so Jiminy Cricket and the Dwarf Council had decided to hold it outdoors. The tears of the thousands of mourners - both noble and common-born - were muffled by the softly falling snow, the howling wind, and the crackling of hundreds of magical fires the fairies had lit to keep the midwinter memorial from becoming a mass grave for the hypothermic.

_It was never supposed to end this way_, Regina thought bitterly, shivering as she pulled her black shawl tighter around her shoulders. For all the decades she had tried to take away Snow White's happiness, the actual realization of her goal (by someone else's hand, she was poised to remind the dwarves, but nobody seemed to want to accuse her anymore) brought no joy. In fact, as she glanced next to her, at the utter despair on her step-daughter's face, Regina felt some kind of maternal stirring she had not felt towards the younger woman in quite some time. It wasn't quite love, or even affection, but for some inexplicable reason every fiber in the Evil former-Queen's being ached for her former nemesis's sorrow and longed to protect her from it.

Had Regina been the type to process her feelings instead of reacting to them, she might have questioned what her heart was trying to do to her. Instead, she merely flicked her wrist to stoke the fire in front of them and, seeing the snow begin to pile up on David's glass coffin, sent a protection spell clean it off. The snow melted and the coffin glowed with a faint purple and gold light, and Snow gave her a look that was unreadable to everyone but the two of them, but which Regina recognized as hesitant gratitude. Wordlessly, Snow handed three-week-old Princess Eva to Regina and approached the dais where her husband lay. Even clad in layers of heavy furs, the queen was graceful as she knelt before her true love, and the former queen allowed herself a quick glance back at the sea of mourners dropping to their knees in a steady wave before clutching the baby closely to her chest and following suit. It struck her how popular the shepherd-turned-imposter prince-turned-Snow's lover-turned-king of seven united Enchanted Forest kingdoms had become during his mere ten months of official reign. The masses who had turned up for his memorial were crying genuine tears: they had honestly loved their king. He was second in their affections only to their queen, who was now drawing a tear-stained scrap of parchment from her pocket. With a nod and a tight-lipped smile to her daughter and step-mother, Snow White shakily began her carefully-rehearsed speech about David.

Regina mostly tuned out the speech - she had heard at least ten different versions of it back at the palace - and focused her attention on the baby in her arms. Eva appeared to be intent on sleeping through the entire proceeding, but Snow had insisted that the tiny princess be included in the final farewell to a father she barely knew and would never remember. Regina had bitten back her arguments and merely cast an enchantment on the baby to keep her warm and comfortable during their hours in the snow. Snow's insistence on Eva's presence at the ceremony, Regina knew, was merely a cover for her despair that her other daughter, the one who really _needed_ to be included, would not be present, could not be present, had no memory of her father's goodness or even the fact that she had one. And that, Regina knew, was her own fault. So, she kept silent and swallowed the lump in her throat - Henry should have been there, too.

Snow and Regina had unofficially started their truce in Neverland, but it was back home in the Enchanted Forest that they started truly repairing their relationship. Though they barely spoke about their feelings, the two women had developed a closeness that was unlike anything either of them had shared in previous relationships. They spent many nights huddled together in Emma's former nursery, restored to its previous state by the reversal of the curse. The king most likely knew about these nightly meetings, but he never joined, choosing instead to mourn his lost daughter in his own way.

Those nights were always the same. Snow would tearfully finger the glass unicorn mobile, and Regina would (at first, grudgingly) allow the Queen to lay her head on her shoulder while poofing them both large mugs of hot cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon. Then Snow would drink hers, or at least consume the whipped cream that didn't exist in their land apart from Regina's magic, and Regina would only stroke her mug (a replica of the one Henry had once given her that said "World's Best Mom") and bury her face in Snow's wild curls, which still smelled like a combination of stables and Storybrooke, and allow the thick hair to hide her tears. Before Eva was born, Snow would gently guide Regina's hand on her belly to feel the tiny kicks, the only thing that gave her even the faintest flicker of hope for the future. These days, they held the baby between them and took turns whispering stories to her about her big sister, the Savior, and her nephew, the Truest Believer, urgency in their voices as they tried to ingrain these stories in her developing mind, even though they knew that to Eva, they would only be fairy tales.

Now they would have to include stories about her father, Regina realized, breaking from her reverie as Snow finished her speech and once again faced the glass coffin. Only three weeks old and this baby already had so much loss in her life. Yet there she was, sleeping contently, unaware that she was surrounded by thousands of mourners and that her mother was slowly falling apart. Jiminy, suddenly standing at Regina's side, nudged her shoulder and motioned for her and the baby to join Snow White.

"Come on Eva, let's say goodbye to your daddy," Regina whispered as she joined Snow on the dais. Snow attempted to give a watery smile as she took the baby from Regina's arms, but her guard quickly fell as she clutched her daughter to her chest and broke into shaking, convulsing sobs. Without thinking about it, Regina wrapped her arms around her step-daughter and cradled her the way she used to hold Henry when he had a bad dream. The sobs continued, but the shaking subsided as Snow White allowed herself to collapse into Regina. Both women ignored the gasps from subjects who had traveled from the more far-flung reaches of Snow and David's extensive kingdom, who didn't, couldn't, understand. Though they may have been united only in loss, they were family, and the two former enemies clung to each other as though they were the only two remaining as the world ended around them.

And, in a way, the world they knew had ended. _Good will always win_, Henry insisted. _Snow White and Prince Charming _will _have their happy ending._ In the year since Pan's curse, Regina had clung to the notion that happy endings could exist, in spite of her strong doubts, as a tribute to her son. And yet, there they were, the glass coffin in front of them a stark reminder that not even the magic of true love can conquer all. It was this, the realization that she had lost not only her son at the hands of Peter Pan but also his greatest legacy at the hands of the Wicked Witch, that finally made Regina crumble.

Snow White and the Evil Queen's tears mixed together before freezing on each other's cheeks, their hatchets finally buried under mountains of grief. Unheard to either of them, the wails of the villagers grew louder and eventually subsided. The two women remained, unmoving, until the last of the magical fires died out in the night, and the sleeping baby between them remained blissfully unaware of the entire tragic scene.

"Regina - uh - Your Royal Highness, have you seen Snow - uh - Her Majesty anywhere?" While Grumpy was the only dwarf who seemed to have truly forgiven her past wrongdoings, he still had an air of unease around Snow White's former arch nemesis, and frequently stumbled over his words when they spoke, especially around company.

"Not since yesterday."

"It's just that, uh...we're supposed to have a council meeting, about, well, you know."

"Yes, I was just on my way."

"But we haven't seen her since this morning when she punched Happy in the face and just disappeared."

"She did _what?!_" Jiminy exclaimed. Both he and Regina stared at the dwarf's bruised face, one thunderstruck, the other understanding. "That's not like her at all. _Why?_"

Regina rolled her eyes. "He was probably being happy."

"Regina, this is serious." Jiminy argued. He had remained a man when they returned to the Enchanted Forest, the only visual reminder of their time in Storybrooke. It simultaneously made Regina cling to him and despise him.

"She just lost the love of her life, _Cricket_. She's entitled to some disappearances and even, dare I say it, some punches." _Especially to the most irritating of those drunken miniature men she insisted on calling her closest friends._

"Well, uh, we'll get going to tell the others the meeting is postponed. If you see her-"

"Of course," Regina said dismissively, waving her hand to send the dwarves away. Jiminy - who, quite frankly, she had liked much better as Archie - remained behind.

"You know where she is, don't you?" he asked quietly.

"I may have some ideas. What's it to you?"

"You can drop the hostility, Regina. We're on the same side in this."

"Fine."

"You'd tell me, right? I mean, if she was exhibiting any...worrisome behaviors?"

"And what is the Jiminy Cricket definition of a worrisome behavior? I believe it may differ from mine."

The former cricket cracked a small smile, though it barely reached his eyes. "She's lucky, you know, that she has you to protect her."

Regina quickly suppressed the emotion that threatened to cross her face. "I have a feeling that lucky is the last word she would use to describe herself right now, but you're right about one thing. I will protect her. There will be no more Evil Queens on my watch."

Jiminy nodded, swallowing a lump in his own throat. He gripped her shoulder in silent solidarity before following the dwarves to the war council room that had gotten entirely too much use in the last months. Regina sighed and made her way to the room where she knew she would find Snow.

Just as she expected, the Queen was standing over Emma's crib, one arm supporting baby Eva on her shoulder while the other twirled one of the glass unicorns. Rainbow-colored spots of light danced of the walls as Baby Eva cooed in glee, but her mother's face remained expressionless.

"Go away, Regina," she said coldly, never taking her eyes off the spinning mobile.

"If you didn't want me to find you, you would have gone somewhere else, Your Majesty."

"What do you want?"

"I only wished to inform Your Majesty that your advisors are missing your presence in the war council meeting and sent me to find you." The stiff formality was a mask she adopted when Snow was in moods like this, when she occasionally reverted back to her original hatred of her evil step-mother. It was something Regina expected, but it still hurt. She barely recognized herself in that woman anymore.

"I know," Snow whispered. The coldness disappeared from her face and she looked like a scared little girl again. "I...I can't go. I can't face them right now."

"Right." Regina cleared her throat. "Can I take a message? Ideas for the next step in the battle? Or should I just tell them you wish to be left alone?"

"The second one, please. I do have an idea, but it's only for the two of us."

"Okay," Regina said slowly. _Why did she feel a sudden sense of dread?_

"I need you, Regina. I need your magic." In an instant, the light was gone from Snow's eyes, and her face contorted into a sinister expression. "We're going to kill her. We're going to kill the Wicked Witch, together."

_And here it is, right on schedule._


	2. Of Light, Darkness, and Broken Hearts

Disclaimer: The flashback in Regina's dream is from Welcome to Storybrooke (Season 2). I own nothing of Once Upon a Time.

**Chapter 2: Of Light, Darkness, and Broken Hearts**

"I'm pretty sure that's already part of the plan," Regina answered slowly. "We've got to save the kingdom from her evil wrath and all that."

"I'm not talking about the kind of death _they_ can give her, Regina. They can't make her suffer the way you can. The way _we_ can." Regina barely stopped herself from shuddering. It was one thing to have one's own heart consumed by darkness, but to witness it in another was even more terrifying. And the other person being Snow White took it to an entirely different level. Even though her transformation was still in the beginning stages, Regina could already picture the future.

"What kind of painful demise are you suggesting?"

"I don't know, but we'll think of something," Snow cried in desperation." She didn't just kill him, Regina. She tortured him for d_ays_! She needs to pay for that!"

Regina sighed, considering her options. Maybe, if she treaded carefully, she could still end this. But how could she help someone else fight the darkness when she barely knew how to do it herself? "Here's an idea," she finally said. "Let's sleep on it. Tonight, you dream up the kind of death you want to inflict on the Wicked Witch, I'll see what kind of sinister plots I can hatch, and we'll reconvene tomorrow morning to discuss." She only hoped that once morning came, Snow would come to her senses.

"Thank you Regina. You truly are the only one who understands anymore." Snow White embraced her step-mother and flashed her a grin that never reached her eyes.

"I'll..um...I'll relay your message to the dwarves," Regina stammered, hurrying out of the room as quickly as possible. As soon as the door closed behind her, the former Evil Queen collapsed, shaking, in the hallway. She certainly understood, but that only made it worse.

xxx

_They're back in Storybrooke, on the porch of the mayoral mansion._

_"You," Regina snarls._

_"Kill me," Mary Margaret tells her, looking altogether too angelic for someone who has just tricked a woman into killing her own mother._

_"What?" It's rare for Regina to let herself be shocked by anything; this feud has been going on for so long, and it's become so incredibly predictable._

_"Regina, we've been fighting for so long, and it's cost us so much. It has to end before anyone else dies."_

_"Henry would never forgive me," says the tiny, rational part of her that's still fighting the darkness. "But do you know what my problem is? I never learn from my mistakes."_

_With that, she plunges her hand into Snow - Mary Margaret - that _person's _chest and removes the heart, once known as the purest in all the land. Examining it, she is taken aback by a small black splotch, barely visible in the center._

_"Do you see that?" she asks quietly._

_"What did you do to it?" her enemy's voice is full of dread, and Regina comes to the horrifying realization that this is something that can't be blamed on her, that the black speck is intrinsic to Snow herself, and it somehow gives her both overwhelming joy and overwhelming hopelessness all at the same time, and for the life of her she can't figure out why._

_"Oh, I didn't do that. You did it. You darkened yourself."_

_"No! No! NO!" Snow - no, Mary Margaret - or really, someone Regina doesn't even know anymore sobs._

_"Yes, and once you blacken your heart it only grows darker. And darker. Trust me, I know." And even though she laughs because she knows that the destruction of Snow White, the goal for which she has frozen time and crossed realms, is imminent, she can't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. Because it is one thing to believe for over forty years that Snow White is a monster, but quite another to see the confirmation before her very eyes, and if _Snow White_, of all people, is capable of darkening her heart, then -_

"Regina...Regina!" the fierce whispers woke her from an already fitful sleep. Snow's face was only inches from hers, streaked with tears and looking utterly remorseful.

"Snow?" Regina asked sharply, instantly on alert. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't come to Emma's room, and I thought...I thought...oh Regina, I'm so sorry. I'll go away now. Can you please just forget the conversation we had earlier today?"

Relieved, Regina smiled and used the sleeve of her nightgown to wipe away Snow's tears. "Of course. It's already forgotten."

"I'm so sorry; I have no idea what came over me, " Snow babbled. "I never meant to put you in that position - I know you've been trying to change, and not use dark magic, and I should never have-"

"As I already said, dear, it's forgotten." Regina turned to go back to sleep, but she detected no movement beside her, and the sniffling remained just as loud. "Are you inviting yourself to sleep here tonight, Your Majesty?" she finally asked, her voice neither unkind nor particularly welcoming.

"Can I?" the younger woman whispered, flashing Regina the puppy dog eyes Henry had so clearly inherited from that side of the family. Regina grunted and lifted the covers so Snow could slide into the spot next to her.

She had almost drifted off again when she felt a soft poke. "Regina, are you awake?" Snow asked softly.

"I am now," she grumbled.

"Regina, I'm afraid. I don't want my heart to blacken. I want to fight it, but I don't even know how."

"I'm hardly the person you should be talking to, or have you already forgotten about the twenty-eight year curse?"

"No, but -"

"Or the poisoned apple, or the dagger incident, or all the people I've killed and had killed, including - might I add - your own father?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten," Snow whispers. "And, to be honest, I haven't even fully forgiven you. But you _have_ changed. I've seen it for a while, although it took Emma some time to convince me, and I know other people see it too."

"I tried to change for Henry, and now...well, I guess I'm trying to keep it up to honor him. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I don't want to - I _can't _forget him." Regina rolled over and buried her face in her arms, as if Snow hadn't already seen her cry so many times before. Her dislike of showing weakness in front of her step-daughter would probably never go away. Thankfully, Snow seemed to understand and didn't say anything in reply.

A few minutes later, Regina dried her eyes and turned back to face her unexpected bedfellow. "You have a lot to fight for, too, even without your Prince Charming. Or, sorry, King Charming. Just don't forget it like I did. Don't give up on hope."

Snow gave her a watery smile. "Regina, do you remember how I said I haven't forgotten all the times you tried to kill me or ruin my life?"

"Yes, it was only five minutes ago."

"Well, then you should know I have a _very _good memory, and I also haven't forgotten about the selfless, brave young woman who rescued me from that horse so many years ago."

"Oh, really?"

"Of course. She's the one who taught me about true love in the first place. And what you just told me? That's something she would have said."

The former Evil Queen managed a small smile of her own and wordlessly wrapped her arms around Snow's waist. "Go to sleep," she murmured.

xxx

In the morning, things had returned to normal, or as normal as they could be without David, in this absurd fairytale kingdom that, although they had been cursed out of it against their will, very few people had actually wanted to return to. (And the ones who had seemed to change their opinions after a week or so of having to kill their own food and live in drafty stone buildings without central heat or running water.) _Snow White_, at least, was normal, and for that Regina was immensely grateful. If she'd thought playing mother to the naive girl when she was an emotionally-stunted eighteen year old was difficult, that was nothing compared to playing mother to a grown woman who seemed to be slowly losing her grip on goodness after losing the one person she swore she could never go on without.

Actually, for all her talk about how she could never live without her One True Love, Snow was doing remarkably well - scary incident from the day before notwithstanding. She managed to meet with her council for over an hour. While Regina was not present at that meeting - she was excused because Eva was having stomach problems and apparently she hadn't lost her touch for comforting babies - she was pleased to see that no one walked out with a black eye or a particularly terrified expression.

"Anything new?" she whispered to Jiminy as he walked out of the council chambers.

"Not really," he said, quietly so as to avoid waking the finally-sleeping princess. "She's too unpredictable, so for now we're just going to prepare our defenses and try to sniff out her next move. But Snow and Grumpy would like to talk to you about a potential plan for that."

Regina raised her eyebrows. "Should I go in now?"

"Your Highness, there you are!" she heard the dwarf before she saw him.

"Shhhh..." she hissed, shooting him her best Evil Queen glare and gesturing to the baby.

"Sorry. The Queen wishes to speak with you," Grumpy whispered.

She followed him into the council chambers, now deserted except for Queen Snow White herself. "Your Majesty," Regina greeted, reverting to formality because of the dwarf's presence. She didn't curtsy for fear of jostling Eva awake - thirty years away from the customs of this realm had made Regina almost as clumsy at the motion as she was the first time she had met the king.

"Oh good, you got her to sleep."

"Her temperature's gone down a lot. She seems much better."

"Did you have to use magic?"

"No, I think you just ate something that she didn't agree with. It happens when you're nursing - the servants all agreed with me. But I will use it if the fever comes back."

"Great. Now, our question for you." Snow straightened her back and adopted the regal stature she'd finally regained after twenty-eight years as Mary Margaret. "As you know, the Wicked Witch has taken up residence in my father's - your - _our _former palace."

Regina scowled. Of course she knew, that was the entire reason she was living with Snow and David and all those other imbeciles in the first place. Truthfully, she didn't mind the company most of the time, but she was still upset that most of her possessions, especially her _magical _possessions, were trapped in that castle. Everything the Storybrooke residents owned, except for the things they'd had with them the moment the original curse was enacted, had gone right back to where they had left it, meaning that all of Regina's magic was stored in her own palace, at the mercy of its new green occupant. She had already seen the witch in one of her old gowns, and she didn't care to think about what that woman was doing with the contents of her vault.

"Well, we really have no idea what she's up to these days or even what her overall goal is. And, since you were the last person to live there, and we know of your fondness for enchanted mirrors, we were thinking that maybe there could still be one there, and we could use it to our advantage."

"I only had one magic mirror, and that was -" suddenly, she stopped cold. She hadn't spoken to Sidney since...well, really since the curse broke. And if, like all her other possessions, he had been sent back... "No," she whispered.

"Regina?"

"That mirror is...it's more for seeing out than in, if you know what I mean."

Snow's face filled with dread. "You mean, she could be using it to spy on us right now?"

"Well, I don't know how it will work for her, or if she even knows what it is. It's not _my_ magic that enchanted it," Regina tried to reassure her, but she had a feeling it would only make everything worse. How could she have just _forgotten _about that mirror? She reassured herself that it was unlikely to work the same way for a different owner, but _still._

"I always wondered how you got that? Did Gold - Rumple - _You Know Who _give it to you?"

"Now is neither the time nor place for that discussion. You don't want to know, anyway. The bigger problem now is that I no longer have it."

"And_ she_ does," Snow clarified.

"Yes, dear. Thank you for stating the obvious."

Snow glared . "And what exactly are we supposed to do?" she demanded.

"I can reinforce the protection spells on the castle, but I'm sure the Blue Fairy has already given you the best she has to offer."

"Do Dark and Light magic use the same protection spells?" Snow mused. Her eyes suddenly widened in horror at what she had just said. "I mean, _don't_ use Dark Magic, Regina, please."But then she wavered. "Unless, you know, it saves our lives? Gods, I don't even know anymore! Do whatever you want."

"I'll do what I have to do."

"Protecting the castle is only a short term solution, anyway. We have to be realistic." Snow had started pacing. "She could have ways - and besides, any time we leave its walls, we'd be exposed. We have to get that mirror."

"In an ideal world, she wouldn't have access to any of that magic. However, this is far from an ideal world, so you are going to have to trust the Blue Fairy and myself to protect you."

Stopping momentarily, Snow looked Regina in the eyes and said sincerely, "I trust you." Then she resumed her pacing. "But I don't like this. At all."

xxx

**A/N: So, that was chapter 2. Please let me know what you think - I have been out of the fanfiction writing game for a while (and this is my first OUAT story...yikes!), so I would love some feedback. I'm hoping to have chapter 3 finished by this time next week.**


	3. Family

**To the people following this story: thank you so much for reading, and I'm sorry this chapter took so long. I tried to write it mainly from Snow's perspective, which turned out to be surprisingly difficult. As always, I don't own Once Upon a Time (or Wicked), and feedback is much appreciated!

**Chapter 3: Family**

_She dreamt of her wedding day. Not her official wedding - the one Regina had ruined (though Snow supposed they were past that now) - but their commitment ceremony at Lake Nostos with David's mother and Lancelot. The kiss they shared under the arch of flowers was the happiest moment of her life, which ended too quickly when they looked up and saw that Ruth had taken her last breath. If Snow had to be honest, she would say that all the happy moments in her life had been far too brief, and that she was beginning to rethink her long-held notion that everything would right itself in the end. However, this was her dream, and in her dreams the happy moments could last forever, and nothing would ever cause that kiss to end. Not a lack of oxygen, or the strange clanging sounds getting louder and louder..._

Snow gradually became aware of the castle's alarm bells going off and someone shaking her shoulder. "Snow, wake up! Come on!"

"Charming?" she asked groggily, slowly pushing herself to a seated position and trying to ascertain her surroundings. All that she could deduce was that she was lying on a floor, and the only light in the pitch black room was coming from a fireball in her former step-mother's hand. "Regina ? What time is it? Where are we?"

Snow imagined she saw Regina rolling her eyes, though it was too dark to know for sure. But there was no mistaking the exasperated and increasingly urgent tone in her voice. "You're in Emma's room and it's just before dawn. And you need to get up _now _and prepare for battle."

"Why, what's going on?" The queen scrambled to her feet and followed the glow of Regina's magical lantern out of the room. As her eyes adjusted to the light of the hallway, Snow discovered that the older woman was already fully dressed in armor that was all too familiar to her - the armor she associated with the Evil Queen who had terrorized her for years rather than the woman who currently lived in the castle as her trusted advisor and reluctant friend. In spite of the fierce war going on, Snow had rarely seen that armor since their return to the Enchanted Forest, because no matter how much she tried to redeem herself, the dwarves still did not trust Regina in the battlefield.

"What's going on is there's an army of flying monkeys about a mile north of the castle, and the fairies seem to be under the impression that some powerful dark magic is going on nearby, most likely from the same vicinity as the monkeys."

"And they think it's her." It had to be the witch. The dwarves would only arm the former Evil Queen if the stakes were too high to avoid it.

"Well, dear, the only other known dark magic user in this realm is safely accounted for."

"Then she's _here,_" Snow stated definitively, ignoring Regina's poorly-timed attempt at levity.

Regina whirled around abruptly, searching the queen's face with suspicious eyes. Apparently determining there was no cause for concern, she turned away and resumed walking. "At the very least, her magic is here, and in such high concentrations that we have to assume she's either nearby or much more powerful than anyone previously thought."

"Well, let's get to it, then," Snow said, careful to hide any emotion from her face. It wouldn't do to have Regina second-guessing her before she even thought of a plan. "You'll tell the others to meet by the stables in five minutes?"

"Yes, although most everyone has already assembled. There were some difficulties...finding you..."

Snow sighed. If the situation weren't so dire, she would have confided in Regina that sleeping in the same bed she had once shared with David was too painful, and the other woman would have at least paid lip service to giving her comfort. But the situation _was_ so dire, and she couldn't afford distracting either of them from things they would shortly have to accomplish. She was torn between being grateful or infuriated that Regina's expression showed she already understood everything.

"Right, well then, I'll be there as soon as I'm properly dressed. If anything happens before-"

"Yes, yes, everyone knows the plan. You have literally every battle-ready warrior in the realm at your disposal. Robin and Mulan are completely capable of leading or your husband wouldn't have trusted them. The fairies and I - we'll do what we have to do. You have nothing to worry about, Snow."

"Right." Snow let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. "I wasn't worried," she lied. It was her first battle without Charming leading the army by her side, and it was apparently the biggest yet. The witch had certainly planned it this way: she thought assassinating the king would leave the kingdom wide open for her to take. Well, Snow White was going to show her how wrong she was.

"Of course, dear. I'll see you when this is finished." Regina lingered for another moment at the door of Snow's dressing room, looking like she wanted to say something else, but then she wordlessly turned on her heel and marched out to meet the army.

As Snow watched the former queen's retreating back, an idea began to take shape. She dressed as quickly as she could and slipped out the back of the castle to the smaller stables where the royal family's personal horses were kept. She could hear the army assembling near the front gate and briefly felt guilty at the extremely _un_-queenlike behavior she was about the engage in. But Regina was right: Robin Hood and Mulan could most certainly lead the army without her, and there was something very important Snow had to do.

xx

The sun was just beginning to rise as Regina collapsed on the ground after finally completing the most intricate protection spell she had ever attempted. It was quite embarrassing, really, how useless she was at light magic. Next to her, Tinkerbell seemed only mildly taxed, and Blue and Nova looked as fresh as ever. She supposed it wasn't surprising. After all, her entire magical education had been in preparation for a single undertaking: casting the Dark Curse. If it wasn't for her tiny goddaughter sleeping in the castle, Regina would likely never have bothered participating in this part of the battle preparations.

"Lady Regina," said an all too familiar voice.

"Captain Hood," she greeted, attempting to push herself into a less compromising position. It was bad enough that Tinkerbell seemed to believe this man was her long-lost soulmate, but his ability to always find her at the worst possible moments made the fact that they were supposed to work together even more difficult.

"I don't suppose you know where the queen is. You mentioned that you were going to find her."

"Is Snow all right?" Jiminy was right behind him, looking entirely awkward and out of place in his armor. Regina truly believed what she'd told Snow before: Robin was a capable and trustworthy captain. However, she couldn't help but question his logic in putting the former cricket on the front lines.

"I did find her, over twenty minutes ago. Is she not here?" Regina's eyes widened as the look on Jiminy's face told her all she needed to know.

"We can carry out our plan without her," Robin began calmly, "but it would be helpful - I think the dwarves -"

Regina's head spun. "Yes, well, I may have some idea where the queen is," she muttered, as she mentally checked off all the possible scenarios. Accepting Robin's outstretched hand, she managed to get to a standing position. "Captain Hood, you're going to need to carry on without her. Cricket," she continued, turning to Jiminy, "how are you on a horse? I may need back-up."

xx

Snow urged her horse on as they sped through the forest. It was a long ride to the witch's castle, and by now they would have noticed she was gone. She felt a brief surge of guilt for what she was doing but quickly brushed it aside. It didn't matter: as Regina had said, her army was the best in all the land, even without her, and now Snow was going to find a way to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West once and for all. She was certain that the solution lay with one of the magical artifacts in the castle, either something of Regina's or one of the witch's own devices.

Suddenly, Snow gasped as she felt herself lifted from the horse. Buttercup continued galloping away as vines that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere held the queen captive.

"Did you think we were completely stupid, Your Majesty?" Snow groaned as she heard Regina's voice behind her.

"No." She opened her mouth to give some kind of excuse or explanation, but nothing came. "Please let me down, Regina."

"I thought you were better than this," Regina shouted. "I _trusted_ you, and you...you..."

"Well, I thought you were better than this, too. This spell - who are you trying to be, your mother?" She knew that would hit the former where it hurt, but Snow didn't care. She had a plan to carry out, and Regina deserved her venom anyway.

"No, and it's obvious you're not trying too hard to be yours, either. _What_ do you think you are doing, Snow? Are you trying to get killed?"

Snow winced as the vines around her abdomen tightened. "No."

"Good, because I should think you'd know better than to _abandon_ the kingdom you fought so hard to unite, not to mention your _infant daughter_, who has already lost one of her parents in the last week!"

Snow struggled to hold back her tears. She didn't think she had ever heard anything quite like this tone in Regina's voice. "I didn't-"

"I'm not finished! You didn't tell _anyone_ where you were going - you didn't even see fit to give your own captain warning that you wouldn't be there. You are the leader of this kingdom, you are a symbol to all of these people, they swear allegiance to nobody but you, and if you think you can just die or _disappear_ without anyone feeling the consequences, I - damn it, Snow!" Regina's voice cracked, and she stopped her rant to take a huge, gasping breath.

"I'm sorry," Snow whispered. "Will you let me down now?"

"You have people who care about you, people who look to you for guidance, and you can't just - you have a responsibility!"

"Regina, I think you can release her," Snow heard Jiminy's voice and the trotting of hooves as he approached. Of course, he would be here, too, though her once-evil stepmother was doing a perfectly adequate job of being a conscience on her own. He sounded out of breath - Snow didn't envy him the task of trying to keep up with Regina on horseback.

The vines loosened, and Snow found herself unceremoniously dumped on the ground. "Thank you," she grumbled. She was ready to make another remark, but the look of anger and hurt in the other woman's eyes stopped her.

"Regina, I'm really - I'm sorry, but I have to find a way to defeat her. I thought you, of all people, would understand that!"

"If you thought I would be so understanding, you should have told me!" Regina exclaimed. "I would have understood, and I do! But what I don't understand is why you saw fit to just _disappear_ and undertake this errand without even warning anyone you were leaving! I don't understand why you were willing to take the risk of leaving your month-old daughter an orphan without any logical-"

"Don't pull that card on me! Don't you _dare!_" Snow screamed. "I want Eva to live in a world where she's not surrounded by evil, and if the price I have to pay is my death, then so be it!"

"I think you both need to take a breath here," Jiminy cut in, dismounting his horse and gently touching Regina's shoulder. She flinched at the contact and glared at him. She did, however, take his advice and breathe for a moment.

"This is something you're determined to do." Regina stated quietly.

"Yes," Snow replied, looking the former queen squarely in the eye.

Regina turned her gaze away first. "Jiminy, take the horses back to the palace, please. Tell Captain Hood and the others whatever you need to."

"And what will you do?" he asked with some trepidation.

"It seems I'm going to accompany the queen on her mission, to keep her from doing anything...foolish." With that, she leveled a glare at Snow and handed the reins to her horse over to the cricket. She nodded her head towards Buttercup, who was slowly wandering back to them now that there were no longer raised voices.

"Are you proposing we get there on foot?" asked Snow. "Isn't that even more - oh."

"If you want my help, you're going to have to stop asking stupid questions like that," Regina growled, and with a quick flick of her wrist, the two women disappeared in a flash of purple smoke.

xx

Snow and Regina appeared in a cluster of trees about one hundred meters from their former home, the castle the Wicked Witch had apparently adopted as her residence. Snow observed a few guards at the door, but aside from that, the castle was quiet and empty.

"It's not very well guarded," she observed.

"I don't think she was expecting a sneak attack," Regina said shortly. "Come on - there's a secret passage by my old apple tree."

"How did I never know about this?" Snow asked in wonderment, following closely behind.

"Do you or do you not understand the meaning of the word 'secret,' dear?"

"Regina..."

"I said I would help you, I did not say I would be friendly about it. I'm still angry, and I'm here for Eva and no one else. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, I understand," Snow sighed. She honestly did understand where Regina's anger was coming from, but she was slightly baffled at the magnitude of it.

After what seemed like an hour of walking through a dark passage, the two women emerged in what used to be Regina's bedroom. It now appeared to serve the same function for the witch, though the furniture seemed to be in a state of overall disrepair. Regina would never have allowed her living space to be anything less than immaculate, and the way she was wrinkling her nose now told Snow _exactly_ what the former queen was thinking.

"If she supposedly has all these powers, couldn't she spare a little magic to fix the moth holes in the curtains?" Snow remarked lightly.

Regina ignored the comment. "You search this room. I'll sneak down to the crypt and see if there's anything of use leftover there. We will leave in exactly half an hour and not an _instant _longer, even if the mission is unfulfilled."

"And why exactly are you the one giving orders? This is _my_ mission, which I don't recall inviting you on, not to mention I became queen when you abdicated the throne - voluntarily - so..."

"Fine, Your Majesty. _I _will leave this wretched castle I'd never hoped to see again in half an hour, and you are free to transport magically with me or find your own way home. I don't care. Now let's stop wasting time and get this over with."

"You're right," Snow mumbled, but Regina had already disappeared.

She began methodically going through the contents of the writing desk, which seemed the most likely place for the witch to store something magical. She was rewarded with the discovery of Cora's spell book, which she quickly deposited in the quiver with her arrows. It was just thin enough to fit. She really should have thought to bring a bag - maybe Regina could magic one up when she got back. Wait-she could just take the one on the chair. Snow moved over to the vanity and looked over the assortment of mirrors. None of them immediately jumped out at her as _enchanted_, though Snow had little to no training or experience in judging whether an object had magical properties. She decided to simply load her stolen bag with all the mirrors that would fit. That was when she saw it - the all too familiar brown leather cover. _Once Upon a Time,_ read the ornate lettering. Snow's breath caught in her throat, and she was so entranced that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her.

"Hello, Snow White," said an unfamiliar female voice.

Snow's face paled as she turned and found herself staring at the terrifyingly green complexion of the Wicked Witch of the West.

"How lovely to finally meet you, although you are trespassing in my home."

"_Your _home?" Snow asked angrily. But before she could say anything else, she found herself lifted from the ground for the second time that day, only this time, she was also being attacked by an enchanted broomstick.

"Yes, Snow, _my home. _I really am pleased to have you as a guest here. I so enjoyed getting to know your dear husband, and now it appears the final piece of the puzzle to my takeover of this kingdom has freely offered herself to me. Your army is holding mine off for now, but once they see the dead body of their queen, well, you know what will happen."

"You're going to have to do better than that," Snow snapped, quickly pulling an arrow out of her quiver and drawing her bow. She shot directly at the witch's heart, but before she knew what was happening, the arrow was engulfed in a flash of green light and suddenly changed direction, lodging itself in Snow's abdomen.

The witch let out a wicked cackle and released the spell that was holding Snow in the air, depositing the injured queen in a heap on the cold stone floor.

"You'll pay for this," Snow whispered, though she wasn't even sure which one of them she was talking to. The pain of the arrow in her stomach was agonizing, but it was nothing compared to the sadness and guilt she felt as she realized she was dying. _Regina was right. I abandoned my kingdom. My daughter will grow up an orphan. _She covered her mouth to muffle a sob. _At least I'll get to be with David - but he'll never forgive me for this._

Snow felt herself beginning to fade out of consciousness when she thought she heard Regina's footsteps approaching. _Please, Regina,_ she thought desperately, though she had no idea what exactly she was hoping the former evil queen would do. Still, as long as Regina wasn't defeated, there was still _something _to hope for. There had to be.

"Regina," the witch exclaimed, seeming genuinely surprised and maybe...happy?...to see the other woman.

"You," Regina spat.

"I have a name. It's Elphaba."

"Well, good for you. Do I look like someone who cares what your name is?"

The witch cackled again. "You're awfully disrespectful to your older sister." _Sister?_ Snow's head snapped up in shock. _Regina never said..._

"Why should I respect you? Someone who stole my house, terrorized my homeland, killed my king - wait, _what?"_

"Half-sister, actually. Of course, Cora never told you. She never wanted anyone to know about her little...fling...with the Dark One."

Her vision was blurring, but Snow could see the slight tic in Regina's neck as she suppressed a shudder.

"It was supposed to be me, you know. I was supposed to become the queen, I was supposed to cast the Dark Curse. That was her deal with Rumplestiltskin - that he got to keep their firstborn child and raise her to be the monster who cast that curse. She lied to him and backed out of the agreement, of course, but she would have raised me as her own and pretended I was Henry's. But then I was born, with my _condition_, and, well, you can imagine."

"Why should I believe you? You're insane!" The same frantic anger that Snow had heard before had crept into Regina's voice. She couldn't say she blamed her: Snow herself was continually amazed at Rumple's family tree, but this was a twist she would not have predicted.

"Because I'm on your side, little sister," the witch - _Elphaba_ - said soothingly.

"Don't call me that," Regina snapped.

"Mother sold me to some realm jumpers and I ended up being raised by a couple in Munchkinland. It wasn't always an amazing childhood, but I'm glad I missed out on whatever fate my father had intended for me. I wouldn't wish your life on anyone, little sister."

"Stop calling me your sister."

"As I said, I have no jealousy of the life you led, but I missed out on the power I was promised. That's why I'm taking this kingdom, but I won't leave you out. We can rule together. Look, I even helped you kill Snow White!"

Regina gasped as she noticed Snow for the first time, nearly unconscious, with an arrow sticking out of her belly and clothes stained red and brown with blood.

"We'll take her body back together and show those simpering idiots what we're capable of, and then we'll control this entire realm together. We'll rule as sisters - that is, if you believe me." For a moment, there was silence, and a quickly fading Snow briefly allowed herself to wonder if the well-buried Evil Queen within her stepmother would surface, lured by the witch's words.

"Oh, I believe you're my mother's daughter," Regina said quietly. "But it would appear we have a small conflict of interest." Her voice grew stronger, and she set herself firmly between Snow and Elphaba, shoulders square and regal. "Because I came here for one reason: to help Snow White kill you."

"Oh, but Regina, we're family," the Witch exclaimed happily, apparently not at all intimidated. She was brave, or more likely psychotic, Snow thought. "And family protects each other. She killed _our mother._"

Regina turned towards Snow, staring worriedly at her still-bleeding wound. "You're right, family protects each other," she said quietly. Then she turned back towards the witch, her eyes blazing purple. "But you don't get to call yourself my family just because the same woman gave birth to us. Family isn't...we choose our family. It's the people we love."

"I wasn't trying to question your right to your son, if that's what you think."

"You know what," Regina hollered, "I'm tired of you acting you know about my life. I don't know where you got this information, and I don't even care! The fact remains that you don't know me, and you're not my family. _Snow_ is my family, and you're going to stay the hell away from her!"

With that, the room filled with blinding gold and purple light, and Snow White fainted.


	4. The Witch is (Not) Dead

Chapter 4: The Witch is (Not) Dead

Everything was black. Snow felt like she was floating, weightless, in a dark abyss. She remembered the arrow in her stomach, but she didn't feel any pain. Perhaps this was what death felt like. She wondered when she would get to see David - she was tired, so tired, of trying to go on without him. Maybe death wasn't so bad. In fact, death would be welcomed, but now she needed to get back to Eva. If the Witch - oh, no.

"I think she's starting to come to," said a muffled voice, coming from somewhere above her head. Bit by bit, she began to notice a soft mattress under her back and a cool cloth on her forehead. So she wasn't dead. Slowly, Snow cracked one eyelid open, and a blurred image formed of a crowd of people standing above her. One by one, she was able to make out the faces - Jiminy, the Blue Fairy, Doc, Grumpy... She recognized the setting as the castle's infirmary.

"What happened?" she mumbled groggily. "How did I get here?"

"You had a stomach wound; it's completely gone now," Blue informed her. "Regina healed you, but..." she trailed off, gesturing to the bed next to Snow's, where the former queen was lying pale and unconscious. Tink and Nova were tending to her, worried looks on their faces.

Snow gasped. "What happened to her?" she cried.

"We'll have to wait for her to wake up to figure out the specifics, but the biggest issue seems to be that she used too much magic at once. The spell from this morning took a lot out of her, and then whatever she did to the witch, and healing you - Regina's powerful, but not limitless."

Snow's eyes filled with tears, remembering the confrontation with the Wicked Witch. "This is all my fault," she whispered. "If she dies-"

"Hey! She's not going to die," Grumpy interrupted.

"And you should know by now that Regina makes her own choices," Jiminy added with a small smile.

"Why are you all being so nice after what I did?" Snow asked suspiciously. "And why are you all here when there's a battle going on outside?"

The dwarves looked at each other awkwardly.

"That's the thing," Happy began, "there is no more battle."

"We were fighting, then there was this giant burst of light-"

"It swept over all the land-"

"And then, suddenly, all the flying monkeys had just _vanished._"

"It was over before it even fully began," Doc finished. "There were no deaths on either side, and only a few injuries. You two," he noted, gesturing to Regina's bed, "are the worst off."

Snow let out a sigh of relief. If Blue had said Regina was going to wake up, and no one else was hurt badly, then they'd had incredibly good luck. Perhaps it would be easier for everyone to forgive her.

"What _did_ you do, by the way?" Grumpy asked. "Whatever went down at the Witch's castle was...well, it was something. There's no sign of her, or her army, anywhere. You guys are heroes!"

"Regina," Snow corrected, sharing a dark look with Jiminy. It appeared that the conscience had not told the others about what had happened in the woods. "Regina is a hero. I'm just someone who makes impulsive decisions. Bad ones."

"Could you tell us about what happened?" Nova asked gently. "It might help us be able to heal her better, if we know what kind of magic she attempted."

Snow shook her head. "I don't know anything about the spell she cast, just that there was one. We snuck into the castle, and then...um...I remember we split up to look for magical objects to steal, and...then the witch showed up. I shot an arrow at her, but she used magic to turn it back on me." She gestured to her stomach, though there was no longer any sign of injury there. If it wasn't for the large bloodstain on her shirt, Snow herself would not have guessed anything had happened to her. "I guess Regina did a good job healing the wound - it was pretty bad," she commented.

"She must have brought you back from the brink of death," Blue said thoughtfully. "The price for healing is rarely this high."

That only made Snow feel worse as she remembered their conversation in the woods - Regina had practically given her life so that Eva wouldn't be orphaned. She truly did care about the baby. And what she had said to the Witch - Snow shook her head. She didn't dare tell anyone about what she'd heard. _Even if it has the potential to save her life_, said the needling voice in the back of her head. _No._ This newfound relation to the Witch might not even be true, and even if it was, and that information was somehow helpful, Regina would almost certainly rather die than have another secret revealed by Snow White.

"She cast a spell on the Witch," was all she felt comfortable saying."I don't know exactly what it was. She came just in time - I was fading quickly. All I remember is a lot of bright lights - purple and gold - and then everything went black."

"Gold? That's...interesting." Blue flew over to Regina and lay a glowing hand on her chest. For a second, the former queen's body convulsed, then fell limply into the same position as before.

"What happened? Why does the color matter? Is she going to be okay?" Snow asked frantically.

"She'll be fine now - she just needs a bit of time to rest. Right now what both of you need is rest," Blue soothed. "And we need to check the castle, to find evidence of whatever spell was cast."

"Right, so we're going to clear all these people out of here and come back to check on you in a few hours," Tink informed her, suddenly increasing in size and shoving all the dwarves out the door.

"Eva-"

"Is well cared for by the nursemaids you seem pay to do just that. You'll see her when you've gotten your strength back." With that, the fairies and the cricket left the room, and Snow was left alone with the unconscious former queen. She looked so tiny and fragile - Snow had never realized how small Regina was before. From their first meeting, she'd always been a larger-than-life figure in her step-daughter's mind, with a presence that filled the whole room. To see her now, practically lifeless, made the queen's eyes overflow with tears.

Snow tested her ability to sit up: her injury was completely healed, but she was still weak from losing so much blood. Still, she was strong enough to drag herself over to the other bed. Shaking with sobs, she wrapped her limbs around Regina's far too cold body.

"Please wake up," she whispered through her tears. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." There was no response, but Snow comforted herself by laying her head on Regina's chest and listening to the steady beat of her heart, telling herself that as long as that heart continued to beat - and apparently, hold love for her - then somehow, maybe, there was still hope that everything could be okay.

She must have fallen asleep in that position, because the next thing she knew, it was dark in the infirmary and Regina was shifting uncomfortably underneath her.

"Snow," she rasped weakly, slowly lifting a hand to stroke the queen's tangled curls. She glanced around the dimly lit room and suddenly, Snow felt Regina's entire body tense. "Are we -"

"We're safe. We're okay. You got us back home."

"Your wound?"

"It's all better." Knowing her words would be meaningless, she gently took Regina's other hand and guided it to the place her injury had been. She could feel the tension slowly ebb away as the other woman felt for herself the completely undamaged skin of Snow's abdomen. "You healed it. Blue says I'll be perfectly fine - in fact, they've been much more worried about you."

Regina exhaled shakily. "I think...I think I lost control of my magic. I don't remember the last time that happened."

"Yes, whatever you did to the Witch...it was _something_," Snow echoed Grumpy's words.

"How much do you remember?" Regina asked. Her voice was urgent, but it had none of the sharpness Snow had expected given the subject matter of the conversation she had overheard. "I wasn't sure exactly how...conscious...you were."

"I was pretty conscious up until the bright flashing lights. Before that, I remember she said some things...and then you said some things. We don't have to talk about those things if you don't want to. I haven't told the others anything except the bright lights part."

"Thank you," came the reply, so soft Snow could barely hear it. Regina cleared her throat awkwardly. "We can, if you want. Talk about the things."

"Do you think it's true?" Snow whispered. She didn't need to clarify what she meant.

"It must be. I don't see why anyone would claim that, if it wasn't true."

"Unless she was trying to manipulate you."

"True, although that's exactly how I would expect a product of that unfortunate union to act."

"And trying to cheat the Dark One does sound like something Cora would do," Snow mused, though she instantly regretted her words. The one thing she and Regina had never discussed since their return home was Cora, a topic that was far too sensitive for both of them. She almost expected some kind of angry outburst, but Regina only nodded.

"You'd think she'd be better at it. The Witch - Elphaba - at manipulation. I mean, if that truly is her parentage. She wasn't swaying you at all," Snow continued. She was aware that this discussion could start to get messy, but there was something she needed to know.

Regina's voice was thoughtful. "It's strange: a year ago, those lines would certainly have worked. I'd have been on her side in a heartbeat. But now...well, I suppose I'm not the same person anymore. Lucky for you," she added, half-joking.

"You would have. But instead, you killed her? Nobody knows for sure what happened. The fairies were on their way to the castle to see what they could find out."

Regina shook her head. "I don't think I did. It would be - suffice to say, I've been using magic for a long time, and I haven't lost control of it quite like that before, but I've never killed someone unintentionally. Or, at least without the intention of causing some kind of harm."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"As I'm sure you've heard before, magic is emotion. The intention behind the spell is very important. It's possible for a spell to have unanticipated side effects - the price of magic, you could say - but it would be rare to accidentally hurt someone unless your original intention was to do something similar. Like when I accidentally cursed Henry-" her voice cracked here "- I had been trying to hurt Emma instead. But if I had, say, used magic to clean my kitchen, I would not expect the price to be another person's demise."

Snow was still confused. "So you're saying that when you cast whatever that was, you weren't thinking about hurting her? At all?"

"No, I wasn't - I was thinking - I -" Regina's voice gave out as she began silently sobbing. Snow finally lifted her head from her stepmother's shaking chest and took in the sheer exhaustion on her face. There were definitely lines that hadn't been there in the morning.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, scooting up on the bed so they were lying cheek to cheek. "You don't need to tell me."

"I thought you were going to die," Regina managed to choke out. She tried to push herself to a more upright position but failed as emotion and her body's weakness overcame her. "Are you upset that I didn't kill her?"

Snow felt like she, too, was about to lose control of her feelings as understanding suddenly dawned on her. "Oh, Regina," she whispered, fresh tears leaking onto her cheeks. She felt Regina's arms wrapping around her, the other woman holding on as tightly as her tired muscles would allow, and decided she could finally say the words she'd been longing to say for so long, the words she always held back for fear of anger or mockery or a lack of understanding from absolutely anyone. "I love you, too."

Regina said nothing in reply, but Snow hadn't expected her to. Though she'd been longing to hear the words since she was a young girl, she understood there was still a long way to go before the woman who'd spent decades seeking vengeance on her could say them. Just for that moment, the knowledge was enough, and the soft kiss placed on her forehead by lips damp with tears was all the confirmation she needed.

Regina had finally drifted back to sleep, her tear supply apparently all used up, when Jiminy re-entered the room with a lantern in his hand, Blue and Tinkerbell following closely behind. If the three newcomers were at all surprised to see the former Evil Queen latched onto Snow White like a teddy bear, they hid their reactions well.

"I take it she woke up?" was all Jiminy said.

"Yes, maybe an hour ago," Snow replied, trying her best to keep her voice down. "She's still pretty weak and exhausted, though."

Tinkerbell held her hand above her friend's forehead for a moment, then nodded. "Her magic is coming back, but it's going to be a slow process. Hopefully, she won't need to use it for a while."

"Did she mention anything about the spell she cast?" Blue asked.

Snow shook her head. "She doesn't know what happened. She says she wasn't trying to use magic at all - it just came out."

Blue looked as uncomfortable as Snow had ever seen her. "For someone born with magic, like Regina, such things often happen before the person learns to control their powers. You'll probably start seeing similar occurrences with your daughter in a few years time, though probably not - hopefully not - of the same magnitude. But for an experienced magic user, it's extremely rare unless their emotions -"

"It's okay, you don't need to psychoanalyze her," Snow cut in. Jiminy briefly looked offended until a glimmer of understanding flickered in his eyes. "Did you manage to figure out what happened with the Witch?"

"There's no sign of her, or her...minions...anywhere. And the castle was filled with residue of a very powerful - very r_are - _old magic."

"We had to ask Belle to look it up," Tink added. "That's what took so long."

"It was a protection spell that, as far as we can tell, was last seen almost a thousand years ago. It was previously thought to be a myth."

Snow raised her eyebrows, impressed. "Could Regina actually do something like that without even trying? Is she that powerful?"

"Assuming Belle is correct-"

"There's really no other option," Tink interrupted.

"-the spell sent the person it's protecting against-"

"-the Wicked Witch-"

"-into another land, far away from the object of its protection-"

"-you, your daughter - the entire realm, actually. She really doesn't do anything halfway, does she?"

"Stop interrupting, Green!"

"Her name is Tinkerbell," Regina mumbled angrily.

"I guess you're awake," the Green Fairy said with a good-natured smile. "Sorry for discussing your heroics a little too loudly."

"You should be." Regina attempted to give the two fairies her best Evil Queen glare, but the effect of her red-rimmed eyes peeking out from above Snow's mountain of hair was anything but intimidating. Jiminy barely succeeded in suppressing a grin.

Suddenly, Snow heard her baby's cry from a nearby room. "I should go to her," she said apologetically, gently untangling the blankets and arms wrapped around her body. "I'll bring her back in a few minutes for a goodnight kiss from Aunt Regina."

"Thank you, dear. And bring a brush, too. You can't present yourself to the kingdom like...that." She gestured toward Snow's hair, a distasteful expression on her face.

Snow almost froze in shock as she felt herself smiling. "Of course, Mother," she joked, feigning a curtsy.

Three days later, Queen Snow White, clad in a black veil and her mother's tiara, once again addressed her entire kingdom, this time with the good news of their enemy's defeat. Pausing briefly in her speech, she looked back with a small smile at her daughter, cooing happily in Regina's arms as Tink attempted to teach her how to clap her hands. "I hope that even with all the tragedies that have befallen this land in recent times, we can rejoice in our newfound safety and look to the future with hope," she finished to thunderous applause.

xx

Note: I'll reiterate again for safety, I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of these characters. Thank you so much to the people who reviewed and followed this story; I'm so glad to hear people are enjoying it. All of the Eva fans - the next chapter is going to fast forward in time a little bit, and she'll be playing a much bigger role once she can actually walk and talk. Just something to look forward to... :)


	5. The Little Princess

**Notes: Thank you so much to the people who continue to read this story. Sorry I'm not too fast at updating. I still don't own Once Upon a Time and make no money from writing this.**

**This chapter takes place about five years after the last one (so almost six years after Pan's curse). Not a whole lot of action (sorry) - mostly chit-chatting and a long-ish flashback. **

Chapter 5: The Little Princess

"But Mother, I don't want to have lessons today. I want to help you prepare for the ball!"

"Eva, we've talked about this. You can help me later in the evening, but for now, you need to go with Belle." The little girl's lip jutted out in protest. She'd already been arguing with her mother since they sat down for breakfast ten minutes before. "Besides," Snow pulled out her final bargaining chip. "Aunt Regina said that if you get a perfect score in arithmetic, she'll take you riding in the afternoon."

Eva's dark green eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're lying, Mother. She never said that. I've been with her all morning, and she never mentioned anything about it." Snow sighed, wishing her almost-five-year-old was a little less precocious. It was as though she had a supercharged version of the built-in lie detector her older sister had always claimed.

"You're half-correct, my little princess," Aunt Regina herself proclaimed as she joined mother and daughter at the table. "I never said that, but it _is_ the truth." Seeing the young princess was still reluctant, Regina added in a whisper, "Or, if you prefer, I can teach you to waltz."

Eva studied her godmother for a moment, trying to determine her intentions. "Riding _and_ waltzing," she bargained.

"A perfect score in arithmetic, _and _neat handwriting. Final offer."

"Deal!" Eva exclaimed happily. "Belle!" she hollered, jumping up from her seat, "I'm ready to study now!" She placed a quick kiss on both women's cheeks and bolted out the door.

"I love you! Be good!" Snow called futilely - Eva had long since left the room. She turned back to the former Evil Queen, looking somewhat sheepish. "When she says 'I've been with her all morning,' does that mean 'I woke her up at the crack of dawn and made her brush my hair and take me riding?'"

"Actually, I took her riding first and then brushed her hair. I find it helps her look less like a bale of hay." Regina cocked her head to one side with a smirk that was eerily reminiscent of Henry. "And it was before the crack of dawn. The sunrise was quite lovely this morning."

"I'm sorry, but you know you're allowed to say no to her."

"No need to apologize. I was planning to go out this morning anyway, and Eva is perhaps the most pleasant company in the palace."

"Two riding lessons in one day," Snow mused. "I guess we can add this as evidence for the nature versus nurture debate."

"Don't worry, dear. We also stopped several times to chat with the local birds."

Snow rolled her eyes. There was a small, dark part of her that felt a rush of petty jealousy at the easy relationship between her daughter and stepmother. It was silly, she knew: this was a relationship she had encouraged and supported. As much as Snow had thought she was going to be a completely hands-on mother her second time around, the fact of the matter was that she had to run a kingdom by herself. She now understood why her own parents had mostly left the minutiae of young Snow's daily care to various maids and governesses - it was a necessity of their busy lives as monarchs. Snow now found herself raising her own daughter in a similar fashion, though the small army of hired caregivers was mostly replaced with one former Evil Queen. She knew her daughter adored her, of course, but "Aunt Regina" was the one who got to take her riding, brush her hair, and share her secrets. It was hard not to be jealous.

"Just be careful that she dresses warmly enough," she warned.

As if she could read her once-stepdaughter's mind (and sometimes, Snow wasn't quite convinced that she couldn't) the older woman shrugged her shoulders and said lightly, "You should join us sometime. Maybe for her birthday. She would love that." Regina offered her a small smile, and Snow reached out to squeeze the former queen's hand in silent gratitude.

xx

"Something on your mind, my little princess?" Regina couldn't help but be concerned. They had been riding for almost half an hour, and Eva had yet to say anything besides a few commands to Buttercup. Personally, Regina enjoyed riding in silence, but Eva was normally a child who made Snow look shy and retiring.

Eva suddenly brought Buttercup to a halt, and Regina's own mount, Phoenix, gave a startled whinny as she abruptly tugged his reins to keep pace with her goddaughter.

"Why won't Mother let me help her?" the young girl demanded, a slight pout settling on her lips.

Regina raised her eyebrows. "Maybe she thinks drawing up a seating chart for several hundred dimwits will bore you. It certainly bores me - that's why I'm here." It also bored Snow, who didn't even want to be throwing this party in the first place. In fact, Aurora and Ella had already finished the seating chart for her; however, it made for a most convincing cover story while the queen prepared her daughter's birthday surprise. In two days time, Eva would be riding her own horse, and Buttercup could finally enjoy the green pastures of retirement.

"Why are we having a Midwinter ball?"

"The Winter Solstice celebration is a very old tradition. Every year, the royal family invites people from all over the kingdom, rich and poor alike, to celebrate the return of the sun. You've just never seen one because we stopped having them for a while."

"So why are we starting again this year?"

"Is 'why' your favorite word?"

"Aunt Regina! Why?"

"It's the five-year anniversary of the defeat of the Wicked Witch of the West," Regina said with a barely concealed eye-roll. All of Snow's completely idiotic allies had insisted that they needed to celebrate the occasion, apparently forgetting that it also coincided almost perfectly with the fifth anniversary of King David's death. Snow had protested at first, but then somehow decided that it was her duty as queen to show her subjects a good time, no matter how miserable she would be.

"You're the one who defeated her, right? You and Mother?" Eva asked. She didn't wait for an answer - she had already heard an extremely sanitized version of the story many times. "Are you happy about it?"

"I-"

"You don't look happy about it. And Mother doesn't, either."

Regina sighed. "Your mother and I are both glad that the Witch is no longer a threat to the kingdom's safety, and especially yours. As queen, it's your mother's duty to protect her people, and she succeeded."

"But she's not _happy_."

"It's -"

"You're lying, and you're even worse at it than Mother."

_How is that even possible?_ Regina wondered. Five-year-olds were not supposed to be so perceptive of other people's feelings - Henry certainly wasn't. Maybe it was all the time spent with Belle and Jiminy? Not to mention, Regina had no idea what constituted an age-appropriate explanation of heartbreak. Finally, she looked Eva in the eye and told her, "As you know, the Wicked Witch killed your father. And defeating her - banishing her from the kingdom - can't change the past."

"You can't bring anyone back from the dead, even with magic," Eva recited. She was learning a bit about the theory of magic from Belle, although Regina refused to start teaching her any practical applications until she was _much_ older. It was terrifying enough that she had the powers at all.

"That's right. And your mother really, _truly_, loved your father. When you love someone so much, and you can't be with them...well, sometimes it's hard to be happy."

Eva sat silently for a minute, absently stroking Buttercup. "So she doesn't get a happy ending."

"Happy endings are -" Regina quickly stopped herself. She couldn't even imagine the amount of trouble she'd be in for telling Snow White's daughter that happy endings didn't exist. "It's complicated."

"How about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why aren't you happy about the party?"

The pair urged their horses into a trot again as Regina struggled to find words that would satisfy the young princess. "The day we defeated the witch," she began slowly, "I was very afraid. Your mother and I were both hurt badly. So," she concluded with a deep breath, " while I am truly happy she's gone, I don't have very good memories from that day."

"Is she really your sister?"

"_What?!_"

"I heard some servants whispering about it. They said they heard you and Mother talking that day."

"Some people should mind their own business," Regina said bitterly.

"Are you sad about sending her to another land? Since she's your sister?"

"First of all, she_ says_ she's my sister, but I don't know if it's true. And even if it is, I had never met her, and she was trying to destroy all of the people I care about in this land. So, no, I'm not sad." As they arrived at the stables, Regina dismounted Phoenix before helping Eva out of her saddle. "But I think about her sometimes. I wonder about her - what could have been," she added sheepishly, painfully aware that she was spilling her guts to a five-year-old. A very intelligent and mature and _curious_ five-year-old, to be sure, but still a five-year-old. Actually, not even a five-year-old for two more days. She really needed to make more friends.

Eva met her eyes with understanding. "I wonder, too. About my sister." She turned away to greet Marcus, the chief royal stableman, and Regina felt her chest tighten as though someone was squeezing her heart. _So that's what this whole thing was about._ She and Snow had decided, before Eva was even born, that they would sit down - together - when she was old enough and explain all about their past and the curse. It was a conversation neither woman was looking forward to, and it seemed that perhaps it would happen sooner than expected. Eva already knew about Emma and Henry, of course, and she knew they had to be separated because of a curse, but she didn't know the particulars. Regina struggled to control her breathing as she contemplated the fact that she already knew exactly how this conversation was going to end.

"Did you have a nice ride, Your Highness?" Marcus was asking while helping remove Buttercup's harness. He was a fairly serious man, one might even say depressed after losing his wife and children in a flying monkey attack, but he always had a smile ready for the young princess.

"It was fine." Eva grabbed two brushes and held one out to Regina.

"Lady Regina," Marcus gasped. "Are you all right?"

"You look sick," Eva added.

"I'm fine," she choked. Marcus gently guided her to a bench and directed her to breathe according to his count. Regina buried her face in trembling hands. This was not something that needed to happen in front of Eva.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about, m'lady," he said gently when she had started to recover. "Happens to me sometimes, too, when I dream about those creatures."

"Thank you, Marcus." She flashed him a small but sincere smile. They'd become close friends since she hired him the year before - Snow left Regina to make decisions for the kingdom regarding stables, not that there were many such decisions. Hiring Marcus was her sole accomplishment, but she thought it was a pretty good one. He liked horses better than people, as any good stable hand did, but beneath a gruff exterior he was incredibly kind and caring.

"Were you thinking about the Wicked Witch, Aunt Regina?"

She was saved from having to answer by Marcus shooing them out of the stable. "Don't worry about your horses today, ladies. My assistant, Jack, will take great care of them. I have a private audience with the queen herself to prepare for." He and Regina exchanged knowing grins.

"The fairest queen in all the land? We wouldn't want to keep you waiting," Regina teased. "That's a nice tunic you're wearing today. Be careful not to get any drool on it."

"You're evil."

"Extremely."

"Why would Marcus drool?" Eva asked as Regina dragged her out of the stable - before an always punctual Snow spoiled her birthday surprise. "He's not a baby."

xx

"Back...left...good job. Now, forward - oops!" The former queen let out an extremely undignified squeak - Eva had tripped over her gown and brought her godmother to the floor with her.

"It seems the waltzing lesson is going well?" asked a voice from the doorway. She hadn't heard Snow's approach over the little girl's giggles. The queen hadn't been at dinner that night; her "meeting" with Marcus apparently ran late. Snow was slightly obsessive about choosing the right horse for Eva - afraid that she'd get into some kind of runaway horse accident despite the many watchful eyes that accompanied her every ride.

"Your daughter is even clumsier than you," Regina complained, her words tempered by an impish grin. "She seems to think this is a wrestling lesson."

"Only because of my dress," Eva whined. "It's easier to dance in riding pants."

"That's true, but you can't wear riding pants to the ball," Snow said with a smile as she helped her daughter back to her feet. "In fact, I heard Mrs. Smith say your ball gown was finished. You can try it on now if you want to."

"It better not be too long. I need to be able to dance in it," the princess muttered.

"Is there someone special you want to dance with?"

Eva wrinkled her nose. "No. Boys are dumb. Except Roland, but I don't think he likes dancing."

"He's too old for you anyway," Regina teased.

"Will there be many children my age?"

"I think Alexandra will be there, and maybe Stefan. Some of the villagers and monarchs from other kingdoms will probably bring a few. Would you like to sit at the children's table or with us?"

Eva raised her eyebrows. "I can choose?"

"Of course!" Snow exclaimed. "I never want you to think that you can't spend time with your friends just because you live in a palace."

"Are _you_ going to dance with anyone, Mother?"

Snow shrugged. "I'm sure I'll dance once or twice," she said noncommittally. She clearly wasn't happy at the prospect, though, and Regina sensed there was something else on her mind.

"Aunt Regina, Tinkerbell thinks you should dance with Roland's papa."

"What is it with her and trying to set the two of you up? She's been on that ever since we got back."

"Longer, actually. Eva, why don't you get changed and show us your new gown." Eva groaned, but she left the room without complaint.

"It's your favorite color," Snow called after her before turning back to Regina. "So, do I finally get to hear this story?"

"It's a pretty simple story. It was when I first met Tink. I was twenty, miserable, and she saved me from ju- from _falling_ off a balcony."

Regina waited for Snow to make an inevitable comment, but the queen was listening silently, staring at her hands.

"She told me I could love again - that she could find me a new 'soul mate.' She used pixie dust - stolen pixie dust - to lead me to him."

Still no response.

"But I was afraid, and I ran away. And she lost her wings," Regina added as an afterthought.

Snow finally spoke. "Did it work? Is he really your soul mate?"

Regina sputtered, stunned _that _was the part of the story Snow had latched onto. "No! I mean, I don't know if it worked. It's possible that if I had actually gone to meet him, we might have had something. At the time. But, now...well, I guess we've changed too much to be each other's perfect match anymore."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. My cowardice of nearly five decades ago wasn't your fault. Not that we could have realistically had something - I was, after all, married." To Snow's father - not that anyone needed reminding.

The pair sat in silence for a moment. "Do you think it's even possible?" Snow asked tentatively.

"What? Finding love again?" Snow nodded, transformed in an instant from queen to scared little girl. Regina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Tink seems to believe so. And Daniel - Daniel also thought it was possible," she said slowly, recalling his last words to her in Storybrooke. _Then love again. _"But I don't know many who have succeeded. Why? Did you have someone in mind?"

Snow exhaled in frustration. "Aurora, of all people, is trying to convince me to remarry. She's invited some 'potential suitors' to this celebration. She thinks it will be good for me. Good for the kingdom. And for Eva."

"Snow..."

"I already told her no," the queen continued, looking down. "I can't un-invite them, of course, and I'll be polite, but...I can't even consider _that_. It wouldn't be fair."

Regina was unable to form a coherent sentence. It was Snow who first spoke again, staring at her hands as though deep in thought. "It was a year after my mother's death that Father started looking for a new wife. We traveled to every corner of the kingdom and met _all _kinds of women." She flashed Regina a small smile. "I hated it. I didn't really want him to get married at all - I just wanted my mother back. I didn't need someone to replace her. But I thought that maybe if he found someone, he could be happy again."

"Snow, I..."

"And you know how it turned out - he married you. He tried to act like he was happy, that you two were in love, but that obviously wasn't true. And it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to him, it wasn't fair to me, it wasn't fair to my mother's memory, and it really, really wasn't fair to you. I can't do that to somebody."

There were so many things Regina wanted to say, but none of them would come out . Finally, she went with the safest comment she could think of, hoping her voice sounded indifferent. "I assume that's what you told Aurora?"

"Not in so many words," Snow said sadly. "I'm not completely opposed to the idea of remarrying, you know. It would be nice to have someone; it would be nice for Eva to have a father figure. I don't _want_ to be alone forever. But I can't - not if it's at the cost of someone else's happiness."

"Mother! Aunt Regina! Are you ready to see my dress?"

"Of course, dear, come right in," called Snow. _And not a moment too soon, _Regina thought to herself, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Snow gasped as Eva entered the room, previous conversation entirely forgotten. "Oh, Eva! You look beautiful!" she exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

"Snow, could you introduce me to this beautiful young lady? I don't think we've met," Regina joked.

"Aunt Regina!" Eva giggled. "You know it's me."

"Wow, it really is you, my little princess! I didn't recognize you without the straw in your hair."

"You're so silly." Eva shook her head and turned back to Snow. "Mother, since tomorrow night is the Midwinter Ball, and we have to stay up all night, you won't be able to tell me my birthday bedtime story."

"Yet another reason why we should just skip the damned thing," Snow said under her breath.

"Can you tell it tonight, instead?"

xx

Eva insisted that her "whole family" be present for the retelling of her favorite fairytale, which essentially meant that her mother and godmother snuggled on either side of her and tried not to think about all the missing family members the little girl had never even met. "Once upon a time," Snow began, with a far-off look in her eyes, "a king and queen lived in the Enchanted Forest. They loved each other very much, but they had a great deal of sadness in their lives. They had just lost their home and their family, and their kingdom was at war with a terrible enemy. There were times when they felt utterly bleak and hopeless..."

Eva mouthed the words along with her mother. This was a tale she knew by heart. Knowing she wouldn't be asked to chime in that night, Regina allowed herself to drift off and remember her own, less poetic version of the story.

xx

_It's the night before Snow and David's official coronation, and Regina can't sleep. Maybe it's because she's in the unfamiliar home of her longtime enemy, where it appears she will be staying for some time until they can vanquish the green witch in her own castle. Maybe it's because she's supposed to sleep in a room with a portrait of Snow's parents above the bed. Maybe it's because she knows that the next morning, she'll be swearing an oath of fealty to that woman who she once swore would never be queen. But things have changed, and she no longer cares much for her vengeance on Snow White. She no longer cares much for anything except the boy in the yellow car she sees, engulfed by purple smoke, every time she closes her eyes._

_So she forces them open. The castle's other residents either don't notice or are polite enough not to comment on the dark circles under her eyes when they see her in the morning. Instead, she wanders the dark, empty hall. The first night, she had used silence and invisibility spells to conceal herself from any overly attentive guards, but most of the trained fighters are taken up elsewhere, dealing with wayward ogres or the flying monkeys currently ravaging the land, and everyone else values their slumber. So the former Evil Queen wanders through Snow White's castle each night, unfettered._

_She's about to return to her room when she hears soft sniffles behind the next door. After all this time, she knows instantly who it is. Though her mind tells her to turn around, her body seems to move of its own volition, opening the door and entering the room. It's large and airy, with windows that probably let in a lot of light during the day time. There is a crib in the center with a glass unicorn mobile hanging above it. She was here before - the night she cast the curse. The baby's room. _Emma's room. _The only difference is the lack of a magical wardrobe._

_Snow is standing over the crib with a teddy bear clutched tightly to her chest. Her back is turned, but Regina doesn't need to see her face to know it's streaked with tears. Snow has always been a messy crier. Torn between leaving the room immediately and attempting to offer comfort (she can't even remember the last time she had a desire to offer genuine comfort to the princess), Regina does neither and simply stands, frozen, in the doorframe. She thinks Snow looks up and sees her, but the princess says nothing. Ever so slowly, her mind fighting her body for every inch, Regina makes her way to the crib until she and Snow are standing side by side._

_Snow's tears have quieted, but she still doesn't look up from the teddy bear."I'm pregnant," she says quietly. Regina remains silent. She supposes the correct thing to say would be congratulations, but it doesn't feel right for this situation. Finally, Snow looks up. "I don't know how to tell David," she whispers as fresh tears spring to her eyes._

_The next night, it's Snow who finds Regina standing over the crib, fingers lightly tracing the glass unicorns._

_"Do you never sleep?" she newly crowned queen asks, her voice concerned._

_"I could ask you the same thing, Your Majesty. I've heard that getting enough rest is important for the baby." Snow says nothing, but her silence says everything. "You didn't tell him yet, did you?"_

_"I have no idea what to say. This is...well, not entirely a surprise, but..." Snow trailed off. "Do you have any ideas?" she asked hopefully._

_"Sorry, dear. Announcing pregnancies isn't really my area of expertise." Snow looks down, slightly ashamed, and Regina wonders, not for the first time, exactly how much the young girl had known about what went on between her father and stepmother. She feels the bile rise in her throat at the return of unwelcome memories. She needs to bring this conversation back to the present, quickly. "But I should think David would be happy about the news. He loves children, and he loves you."_

_She's cut off from saying any more by the shock of Snow's arms wrapping around her. The former Evil Queen stands stiffly, unsure of how to return the embrace or how to deal with the fact that it's not completely unpleasant._

_The next night, both women arrive at the same time. They exchange cautious half-smiles before standing silently on opposite sides of the crib, both lost in their own thoughts._

_Two weeks later, Snow finally breaks the silence. "I told him," she says with pride. "You were right."_

_"Congratulations," Regina tells her sincerely, finally comfortable using the word._

_The night after that, though, the queen is in tears again. "How can we ever be happy without her? Without _them?_" she cries. Regina doesn't answer - she can't answer, because she asks herself the same question constantly. Short of ripping out her own heart (and that _is_ something she's considered), she has no idea how to make the pain go away. She simply stands in place and allows Snow to cling to her like her own personal life preserver. Slowly, tentatively, she raises her own arms and awkwardly rests her hands on Snow's back. The queen sobs harder, but Regina's eyes remain dry._

_They continue this little dance for several months. Snow's moods are unpredictable, but at least her honesty is constant. Regina rarely joins in the speaking and never in the crying; the mere fact of her presence in that room, with Snow White, makes her feel exposed enough. Still, it's cathartic, in an odd way._

_One night, Regina enters the nursery to find Snow sitting on the floor in front of an open window, an odd expression on her face. She beckons Regina to join her, and the former Evil Queen sits awkwardly, arms wrapped around herself for warmth as the cool air blows through her nightgown. She tenses as the other woman grabs one of her hands and places it gently on top of her growing belly, blinking in confusion when she feels a soft thump under her fingers._

_"Was that...?" Snow nods, eyes filling with tears._

_"I had forgotten what it feels like."_

_"What, pregnancy?" Regina struggles to maintain her composure as she feels yet another movement. Snow's hand is gently but firmly holding hers in place. Her mind tells her to remove it immediately, but every muscle in her body fights the urge. "It has been almost thirty years, dear."_

_"Hope." With that proclamation, Snow lays her head on Regina's shoulder, and her unruly hair happens to find its way into her former stepmother's face. _It smells like Storybrooke_, is the first thought that pops into Regina's head, and it briefly strikes her how absurd of a thought that is before she's crying huge, choking, gasping sobs that feel like her insides are splitting apart. She gradually becomes aware of the moisture on her shoulder and deduces that Snow must be crying, too, but their hands never move, and the baby continues to kick the same spot like she knows how much they need her fighting spirit. It's the first time Regina has cried since the curse._

_The days slowly grow colder and the nights colder still. Snow spends most of her days setting up the new baby's room (she refuses to allow anyone to touch Emma's) and Regina spends hers out in the field with David and their new ally Robin Hood, trying to capture flying monkeys. But every night, without fail, they find themselves in the same place. Regina grows less resistant to the concept of Snow's embrace as the winter air chills her bones, even through a heavy wool nightgown and a fur cloak meant for outdoor wear. The nursery is absurdly drafty - it's probably good for Emma that she never slept here; she'd have caught her death from cold. With Snow's permission, Regina uses magic to start a fire. When that's not enough, she produces two mugs of hot chocolate with cinnamon._

_"I guess magic really can be used for good," Snow jokes._

_One night, it's not Snow who meets her there, but David. It's the Winter Solstice, and there should be a great festival to mark the occasion. This year, of course, everyone is preoccupied with the Wicked Witch. She assumes that the green sorceress has something to do with the worried expression on the king's face._

_"Is everything all right?" she asks cautiously. "Did the witch -"_

_"It's Snow. The baby is coming. She...she asked for you." He looks slightly confused, but not upset._

_"Lead the way."_

_Regina's first thought upon seeing Snow is that her skin actually does look white as snow. Her face is clenched in pain and she's whimpering. Occasionally, she lets out an anguished scream. Regina isn't sure what she expected, but seeing Snow in this much pain isn't it."Is this...should we do something?"_

_"They're just contractions. They come pretty standard with childbirth." Doc seems surprised that she doesn't know this._

_"She'll be fine," Charming says confidently. "It was worse with Emma."_

_Regina thinks she finally understands what remorse feels like._

_It's the longest night of the year, and it feels even longer to the four people in that room. David and Regina each hold one of Snow's hands while she cries out in agony. Her face has gone from white to red to purple. Regina is fairly certain that her fingers are all broken, and a quick glance at David's hand confirms that his are in about the same state. Doc fusses around and wipes the queen's forehead with a damp cloth._

_When Snow collapses into the bed after a particularly painful contraction, Regina decides to make the suggestion she's been considering for a while. "I could use-"_

_"No!" David and Doc holler in unison. Snow shrugs. _

_"Very well."_

_Finally, when a pale, pink light is beginning to shine through the window, Doc says the words everyone has been waiting for. "The baby's coming! Just one more push."_

_"I can't," Snow whispers. "I can't do this. Emma-"_

_"Emma would want this for us," David insists. With a quick glance at Regina, he adds, "Henry, too. We know they're happy. Now we need to be happy, too." Not good enough. Snow is shaking her head, her jaw clenched as she fights desperately against her body. _Help me, _David mouths._

_"I just don't want to lose her," she chokes._

_"You won't." David and Doc stare at Regina, shocked, but her eyes are locked on Snow's. "I promise."_

_Moments later, Doc announces, "It's a girl!" and places the tiny bundle into Snow's arms. Regina stands in the corner, watching the elated new parents coo over their daughter and exchange whispers and kisses above her head. It occurs to her that she shouldn't be here, that she doesn't deserve to be here after ruining so many such moments for this family in the past. But just as she's about to start moving toward the door, Snow calls out to her._

_"Regina, meet Eva. Make yourself useful," she adds with a smirk. Before Regina even knows what's happening, the newborn has moved from Snow's arms to David's to her own._

_"Hello, Eva," she whispers, gently tracing her fingertips over a soft, pink cheek. The name sounds strange coming from her lips - it had always belonged to the beautiful woman in the portrait in Leopold's bedroom, a symbol of what she would never be. Hearing it spoken before had filled her with sorrow and, later, anger. Now it belongs to the beautiful baby in her arms who symbolizes nothing but joy and hope. Eva's big green eyes are already alert, and instead of crying she seems to be taking in every inch of her surroundings. Suddenly, her tiny hand reaches up and grabs hold of Regina's finger. She hears a laugh and realizes it's her own. "You are certainly the fairest of them all." _

_"Emma's middle name is Ruth, after David's mother," Snow suddenly explains. Not that she really owes the former Evil Queen an explanation for her baby's name, Regina thinks in confusion. "We thought it would be nice for them to have the same initials."_

_"So, we were thinking of 'R' names," David continues. He looks slightly uncomfortable, but Regina doesn't think much of it. His hand is protectively on Snow's shoulder, as always._

_"Ruby? Rapunzel?" Regina suggests. "Maybe Rose? It kind of goes with your mother's 'lips red as a rose' thing."_

_Snow smiles softly. "We were actually thinking of Regina."_

_"If that doesn't offend you," David quickly adds. Regina's eyes dart between the two monarchs, narrowed in suspicion._

_"Does it not offend _you_?"_

_"Why would we name our child something that offended us?"_

_She supposes she can't argue with Charming's logic. "Eva Regina," she muses. "That's an interesting combination."_

xx

"And so," Snow concluded, "the princess was born with the dawn of the new day. The king and queen believed that throughout her life, she would continue to bring light to the darkness. They named her Eva Regina, with the hope that she would always hold goodness in her heart and never stop fighting for the people she loves most."

"I always will, Mother. I promise," Eva murmured sleepily.

"And even though her life wouldn't always be easy, she would always be surrounded by love and give it in return. All whose lives she touched would live happily ever after. The end."

"Thank you for the story, Mother. Can you stay here tonight? Both of you?"

"Of course, sweetheart. Actually, I think your godmother is already sleeping," Snow laughed.

"That's what you're supposed to do when someone tells a bedtime story," came the drowsy rasp from the princess's other side.

"Well, good night, then."

"Good night, my little princess."

"Mother, can you tell the story about -"

"_Good night_, my little princess!" Snow silenced her daughter with a kiss. "We have to stay up all night tomorrow, so you should get some sleep now."

"I love you two the most, but you're no fun."

**Coming up next: The Midwinter Ball and Eva's birthday. Regina and Tink attempt matchmaking with mixed results. Eva makes a wish on the Reul Ghorm.**


End file.
